To think this charity shop was ridiculous?

[EmptyTheFrickingBins]

Have a fridge, freezer and new double mattress to donate to charity. The mattress is genuinely brand new and has never been slept on because I bought it and then was given a new orthopedic one which was more suitable for my poor bad back! I think I laid on it for less than an hour total.

They've just been and I've never had such an awful experience - they refused the fridge and freezer because "the door seals have gone" (they haven't - I've been using both up until last weekend and never had an issue. The freezer is also missing a couple of drawers (movers dropped and broke them but it's never been an issue)

He then called me a liar over saying the mattress is brand new - because unfortunately I snagged it on the door strip getting it out of the bedroom and it has a few small clicks on the cover.

It has really put me off ever trying to donate anything ever again. I don't have much money and could have sold them in Facebook. The fridge and freezer are a few years old so don't look brand new but do work perfectly well. The way he spoke to me made me feel really small and stupid and I hate being called a liar (I'm ND and not being believed is a massive thing for me.)

If anyone wants to know the charity name I'll share it via PM but it is a big name in the town where I live.

I bought my mum some soft chairs from a charity whilst she was receiving treatment. But she never came home. The chairs were delivered after she died.

After the funeral I called them to donate them, explained the situation including that I’d just bought the chairs from them and they been unused since.

Lady on phone ran through all the standard questions with me about things like condition, fire safety label. I didn’t mind that but I did mind how arsey she was about insisting I read the fire label to her.

I told her that if any of the things they required were missing it was their own fault and she could check their existing records to confirm they only just had been delivered, that I was trying to do something nice for them by letting them sell the chairs twice and my mum had just died. She looked at the delivery book and apologised, pretty grudgingly.

The guys who came to collect them were really nice as they remembered delivering them (my uncle let them in) and said they were sorry my mum never got to use them.

I recently donated an almost new fridge, only 8 months old and I had the receipt. I was told that it had to be switched on when the men came to the house so they could test the temperature. I had no problem with this as it made sense to me and they did take the fridge. The guys were so polite and grateful for the donation, they said how clean and smart it was compared to some that people try to donate. They said that they rarely accept a fridge that’s over 3 or 4 years old and they are hard to sell and then they have to pay to get rid of them.

Luckily not all charities are the same, I had a very good experience.

Yep clicks makes total.sense to me. Fabric can be clicked!

Just because something is in good condition it doesn't mean anyone wants it. I see lots of great condition furniture on our local Facebook and freecycle pages that no one's interested in.
I'm not suprised they didn't take the freezer but you would have thought they would have taken the mattress.

You have to be really careful with house clearance people, even if they are from a charity.

They will often only want the 'good stuff' that they can sell for a tidy sum, and be rude about the rest.

If you think the deal is they take everything free of charge, with the understanding that they can sell whatever they want and skip the rest, you will be very disappointed!

These guys clearly thought the OP was just wanting broken stuff getting rid of free of charge .

I donated a brand new bed not so long ago. Long story why I had a new bed to donate. They were very difficult when they arrived. Refused it based on the type of fire safety label. When I said funny they accepted it when I described the labels on the phone. They then had to make phone calls. Took pictures and generally spoke to me like shit. I had to really bite my tongue. It would have been hard for me to get rid of, an awkward size. When they left I was relieved it had gone.

I'm totally with you op. No good deed goes unpunished.

There's an awful lot charities can't take now. I put almost everything on fb and generally a friend if a friend will take things to give someone else. An awful lot goes to people trying to leave dodgy marriages, in my experience.

Do you have any charity furniture stores where you live?

We have a few here and they come and collect anything, then sell it in their shop, or sometimes the council take people who have nothing to choose new furniture.

When I first became a single parent and had nothing I would have been so thankful for a decent mattress!

They aren't paid. They're mostly all volunteers.

They shouldn't be rude, but I suspect mattresses are hard to sell, and one that looks used, even if it isn't, probably won't sell and they'd have to pay to dispose of it.

These days, people want things that are close to perfect from charity shops, especially anythign to do with food. If the door seals look old, and if the drawers aren't there, then again, it won't sell and they'll have to pay for disposing of it.

I actually reported 2 volunteers who conned my SN mate out of £20. Collected 3 units and a table and chairs from her art studio. Flat packed I had built myself. Dismantled and cleaned to perfection.. They were arsey that the table needed 2 of them to carry it... Took her money after saying they wouldn't take it otherwise.. Boss told me future training would be improved.. Didn't get the money back. Won't donate to them again.

The freezer is also missing a couple of drawers (movers dropped and broke them but it's never been an issue)

Only having one out of three drawers in the freezer would be an issue for most people to be fair!

I had a charity turn down a barely used armchair because of the cat scratches on the side of it. I don't have a cat. I sold it on Facebook instead.

Why though? It's been working perfectly well for me for over a year and the fella who took it didn't seem at all bothered!

Please don't correct me. The drivers for this charity are employed by them and are paid.

Because they only take the things they know they can sell. A freezer with broken drawers isn't something that would necessarily sell well for a decent amount that covers their costs.

one desperate man buying cheap from Facebook isn't the same as a shop.

For me it would mean a pea avalanche every time I opened the door, no matter how well I seal the pea bag 😆. I suppose you’d get used to putting peas in the only drawer.

We bought some furniture from a charity shop, a year later we attempted to donate it back. No change in the condition etc. The men arrived to collect it and stated within two seconds of seeing it that it was the "wrong kind of wood".

Ended up putting it on Facebook and it was collected in the hour.

No it can't, click is onomatopoeic. Something has to make a noise like a clicking sound to be described as clicked - tongue, mouse button, fingers, etc.

Had similar with a sofa. It was in really good condition and had all the safety tags attached etc
The guys who came to collect were inspecting it like HMRC going through my taxes 🤣 no corner left unturned!!!
They took it but I felt a bit violated after they left! Wasn’t worth it. I sell on FB now or freecycle.

Heart foundation (SC) accept clean mattresses and some wardrobes .Of course they cant accept something that may not sell though

There no excuse for anyone being rude to you OP.

I wonder whether they are only taking pristine goods at the moment because premises rental is sky high? They presumably want stock that they are certain will sell within 24 hrs or so. Floor space is valuable and they may already have similar items that they feel will sell quicker.

But if that were the case, they should have told you that rather than making you feel the way you did.

I'm glad you've managed to sell the items now.

They don't need to be rude though do they.

What's the noise that happens when someone initially doesn't understand something - then suddenly it clicks?

Then when Facebook marketplace, Freecycle, vinted etc will win the battle of the second hand market and the charities shop will struggle to be open that rude people's will be wondering why.
The can refuse items because of whatever but at least be polite.